Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1887-02-03
PENINSULA PEACHES.
More and Wore Appreciated a. ,
hfArE etnble Proamct

Ht @AL GhhbhV ENUNHGt
Wheat at rs cents and corn at AS cents
do not open up prospect at all encour-
aging or satisfying to the farmers of the
MARYLAND and Delaware Peninsula says
the Easton iedgsr. This has been the
state of the market Of these two cereals
for long time, and the Peninsula fnrmer,
who is nothing il he is not enterprising
has begun to cast an eye to windward and
that argus optic hns fixed lis gaze upon
the luscious peach.
A Ledger reporter during recent trip
up and down the Peninsula, was aston
ished, as he was delighted, to see with
what surprising unanimity the farmers
have hit upon the sole means of escnpe
from distressing financial depression.
With scarcely probable exception, each
farm that borders upon the d. d q. and
Q. A. d. X. railroads contains a newly
planted peach orchard. Those farmers
who have been engaged in the growing of
this popular fruit have enlarged their
orchards from one-third to one-half while
those who hitherto have devoted ali their
arabic land to the raising of cereals have
bad their mental vision frightened by
the remuuera,iye returns Of their wiser
neighbors, and have followed the example
set before them. The statistics of 1890
will note new ers, for the Maryland and
Delaware Peninsula. There will be a
large decrease in the crop-yield of cereals,
and large increase in the fruit ship
ments therefore, perhaps it would not
be indulging in too much prophecy to re-
mark that consequent lifting of the
financial burden from the shoulders of
our farmers will naturally follow.
Our farmers have looked discourage
ment in the face for years, and each sue
ceeding year has done naught but add to
their anxiety. They have struggled as
only brave, hardy people can struggle
to keep themselves afoat; but it has been
fight in which many of them have gone
down. Their Mecca has been staring
them in the face ever since the civilized
world discovered what world of de-
liciousness is contained in the ripe, red
and fragrant peach, but they have been
blind to its beaming promise. But now
stern necessity has opened their eyes, and
they wonder that they didn't see il before.
While there are other states which raise
wheat and corn in as great proportionate
amount as Maryland, yet there is no
other region upon which the sun shines
so peculiarly adapted to the cultivation
of the peach as the Mary land and Della
ware Peninsula. 1t is her one distinctive
feature. 1t is her birthright. She has no
equal in this one thing. II is true that
there is little peninsula up in Michigan,
somewhat similar to this, that raises this
fruit, but it is greatly inferior, both in
flavor and size, and does not arrive in
market until onr latest varieties have
been shipped. And then the Michigan
fruit growers consider themselves fortu-
iate if they get two good crops from one
richard; while the average life of our
richards is from 15 to 20 years. As yet,
with the culture of the peach in its in
fancy, an orchard will produce but one
crop in every two years; but as more at
tention is bestowed in this dir, ction q
means will be evolved to counteraet this
fact. Proper cultivation and manuring
will no doubt eolve the problem, but il
will require great deal of careful and
patient experimenting by practical fruit
growers before the remedy will have been
definitely settled.
Thanks to the admirable system of the
Pennsylvania company we have most ex-
cellent transportation facilities, and can
place our fruit in three great marts on
the day of shipment This is an adyan-
tage which Is of the utmost benefit to us,
and one with which we could not afford
to dispense. More care should always be
used in selecting varieties, those given the
preference which are more hardy in trans
portation and richer in flavor.
The signs of the times point unmistak-
ably 90 the unsurpation of corn and
wheat by King Peach, Length and pros
perity be to his rule